Jump forward and lift chest
Make a spring out of your legs and bring your legs forward between your hands.
And then lift your chest leaving your hands on the mat.
In the previous position you exhaled and lifted your hips up and lowered your shoulders down and moved into downward dog.
In this positon you:
- inhale
- make a spring out of your legs
- bring the legs forward and bring the feet between the hands
- lift your chest and head while keeping your hands flat to the floor
- and gaze down the nose towards the floor.
How to do it
Spring forward
At the beginning of an inhale breath make a spring with your legs by lifting your heels, bending your knees, sinking your hips slightly and lifting your head. Look beyond the end of the mat and engage Udiyana bandha.
Sink your hips towards the floor and sping your hips up in the air and at the same time bring your legs and feet forward towards your hands. Bring your feet to the floor between your hands.
You can also walk your feet up between your hands if you can not jump them all the way there. Either way will work as long as your get your feet between your hands.
The toes of your feet and the fingers of your hands should all be in a straight line. Your fingers are spread wide and your hands are flat to the floor and pointing straight ahead. Your big toes are touching and there is a small gap between your heels.
Lift your head and chest
With your hands flat to the floor lift your head and chest up. If necessary bend your knees to keep your hands flat to the floor or bring your hands to your shins if they will not reach the floor.
Gaze down your nose towards the floor.
You end up in the same postion as you did in Position 3 earlier in the series.
Modifications
These are the same modifications as Postion 3 above.
If the hips are tight you can walk your legs forward rather than jumping them forward to your hands.
If your hamstrings are tight and your hands will not reach the floor then bend your legs to get your hands to the floor or if necessary lift your hands from the floor and put them on your shins.
Cautions
These are the same cautions as Postion 3 above.
Keep your shoulders down the back away from your ears. This prevents tension from developing in the muscles at the base of your neck.
Keep your hands flat to the floor or keep them on your shins. Both of these positons support your back and prevent stress from developing in your low back. Do not fold forward with your hands off of the floor.
Keep your head in a neutral position. This will prevent tension from developing in your neck.
Next
Uttanasana, the eighth positionof the Sun Salute series, is next. This position is a strong forward bend. This is another of the repeated positions as you continue to move back towards Tadasana.
Previous Position (Downward Facing Dog – Adho Mukha Shvanasana)
Next Position (Uttanasana)
